Sheriff Jim Hammond announced today that he has appointed Tim Gobble as interim corrections chief of the Hamilton County Jail.

“Tim Gobble has been here before. He assumed that same position after the death of Deputy Chief Richard Shockley in 2010. He knows our jail, he understands our philosophy, and his qualifications as a U. S. Secret Service agent and past sheriff of Bradley County, not to mention his people skills, is what we need right now,” said Hammond.

One of the statutory duties of Tennessee’s sheriffs as constitutional (elected) officers is to efficiently and safely operate a county jail. “That’s no small job in a county and jail our size,” said Sheriff Jim Hammond. He added that a great deal of expertise is needed and a multitude of responsibilities required to operate a jail with a daily average of 500 inmates and a staff of about 150.

Sheriff Hammond said the position he is trying to fill is that of a qualified jail administrator. Sheriff Hammond stressed that he is casting a wide net advertising for the position of a long-term, full-time chief or administrator. But for right now, he needs an interim jail administrator to fill the gap, “someone who has the knowledge and experience to come into our county jail and take over short term.”

Mr. Gobble would come on board as a salary-only position with no benefits. The sheriff said he would also have the opportunity, as anyone else, to submit his application for the full-time position being advertised.